MONSTER UNDER THE BED
Monster under the bed is a collection of costumes which aims to adopt a childlike perspective; free from fears and fixed ideas. All over the world stories of monsters are used as precautionary tales for children. This monster archetype represents the weird, scary and misunderstood. Yet many fairytales teach us that what society deems monstrous is often more misunderstood than evil.
My interest in this subject started with my personal journey into self expression. I realized that what held me back was the fear of standing out. i often felt like someones version of a monster: weird, odd and misunderstood. But I have found that there is power in celebrating one’s otherness.
In this work I draw inspiration from childhood monsters, who remind us there is more to being different than what is seen on the outside. Monsters in shows like Monsters inc and the Muppet show have captured our hearts and imagination and allow us to embrace the different and bizarre.
This collection seeks to bring out the inner child in all of us, encouraging us to revisit the curiosity and fascination we had as children and question our fear for the unknown. This makes space to play and evolve.
skills used for this project :
-material research
-creative thinking
-sample making
-weaving
-tassel making
-pattern making
- sewing on industrial machines
- set design
-shoot organization
-model casting
monster of saddness
this monster is representitive of the sadness of a (usually younger) generation of people that were born into a box that they would eventually outgrow.
For me that was my queerness which i had to navigate in highschool (the king of boxes.)
I felt so policed in terms how to act and what to wear that all i wanted was to fit in, and when that did not work, be invisible. thats what this first monster represents.
monster of celebration
this monster is representitive of the happiness one feels when they are truly seen for who they are for the first time and are celebrated for it.
the moment that you are able to escape the box you didnt see a way out of, is the best feeling in the world. To be celebrated
monster of the night
this monster is representitive of the feeling of empowerment, of knowing what you stand for and not being able to be belittled or policed. knowing your worth.
pictures by Madelon van Vredendaal
set design by Clemens Tomlow